The prevention of venous thromboembolism recurrence in the elderly: a still open issue

Introduction: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is frequent in the elderly, with an unclear recurrence risk. After the initial and early maintenance anticoagulant treatment, the decision about its extension versus recurrences is difficult because of the high risk of bleeding in this population. Areas covered: This paper analyzes recent literature on VTE recurrence and risk of bleeding associated with extended anticoagulation in elderly patients with VTE, focusing on available data regarding efficacy and safety of old anticoagulant or recent direct oral anticoagulant (DOACs). Expert commentary: The following are clinically important and still unmet needs in elderly patients with VTE: the current real risks for recurrence or for bleeding are still uncertain; the available clinical predictive rules for recurrence are of less use; in general, the phase III trials on DOACs proved less satisfactory in the elderly than in the general population; low dose DOACs use for extended treatment seems promising and data on long periods of therapy are needed; low dose aspirin does not seem an appropriate therapeutic alternative to anticoagulants due to the high rate of bleeding in the elderly; antithrombotic drugs, with low risk of bleeding should be assessed as alternative therapeutic options for extended treatment in the elderly.